Guangdong, HK, Macao Cooperate in Fight Against Drug Crimes

Xinhua, 16 November 2001

HONG KONG, November 16 (Xinhua) -- Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao anti-drug officials have mapped out a mechanism for future cooperation in the fight against drug crimes after extensive exchange in a large scale anti-drug conference held in Hong Kong.

The Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao Conference on Policy to Tackle Drug Abuse and Trafficking, organized by the Narcotics Division of the Security Bureau and the Action Committee Against Narcotics of Hong Kong, concluded after two days of plenary meetings and workshops, and a half-day anti-drug youth forum in Hong Kong last week.

Announcing the achievements of the conference, Clarie Lo, commissioner for narcotics of Hong Kong, said Friday that Hong Kong has come up with a mechanism for future cooperation in strengthening preventive education and in the fight against drug crimes, after consultation with the mainland and Macao anti-drug officials.

The anti-drug officials in the three places agreed that communication and coordination on the formulation of anti-drug policies should be strengthened.

The conference recommended that publicity on anti-drug legislation and penalties of the mainland, Hong Kong and Macao should be stepped up in the respective places to deter cross-boundary drug crimes.

More emphasis should also be placed on the fact that there is no difference between hard and soft drugs and that penalties for drug abuse and trafficking are equally severe through both publicity and sentencing in courts.

On the publicity front, we all share the view that enhanced communication and liaison between students, parents and teachers is of paramount importance in drug reduction, and that preventive education and publicity should be introduced to young people as early as possible, Lo said.

On treatment and rehabilitation, the conference agreed to set up a data base on the use of Chinese medicine in drug treatment to facilitate information exchange and look into cooperation opportunities in clinical trials of the effectiveness of traditional Chinese medicine in drug treatment in the long term. Enditem